Registering apparatus



Faun; 1941.-

E A. KEEL ER REGISTERING APPARATUS Original Filed 12 -0. 29, 1936 INVENTOR m .L Y E E E N K R A m T w A W Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Earl A. Keeler,

Brown Instrument Norristown, Pa, asslgnor to The Company, Philadelphia, Pa...

a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application December 29, 1936, Serial No.

118,095. Divided and this application November 23, 1938, Serial No. 241,998

6Claims.

This invention relates to the detection of broken filaments in a thread.

The present invention is a division of my prior application Serial No. 118,095, filed December 29,

Q 1936 and issued into Patent 2,188,754 on January 30, 1940, and which discloses various arrangements for detecting broken filaments in a thread together with means actuated thereby for indicating and/or recording the number of such imperfections.

The various arrangements disclosed in my prior application were devised by me with the general object in view of providing simple and efilcient means for detecting broken filaments in a single thread or in a plurality of threads together with means actuated thereby for indicating the presence and/or recording the number of such imperfections.

The apparatus claimed herein is an arrangement embodying my invention which is of especial utility in inspection operations where the actual number of thread imperfections is of minor importance and only an indication of the relative number of imperfections which pass the detecting means is desired.

In the manufacture of fabrics from rayon or other threads the presence of broken filaments in the individual threads shows up in the finished material in the form of fuzzy ends. I-Ieretofore in order to eliminate these fuzzy ends provisions have been made for the inspection by observation ofa portion of the thread during transfer of the thread from spool to spool and rejection of any spools having an excessive number of broken filaments. This inspection operation is obviously expensive and, more important from the standpoint of producing quality material, is inadequate by virtue of the fact that only a small portion of the total output can practicably be inspected.

Moreover, visual inspection of the thread during transfer of the thread from spool to spool and detection of broken filaments is difficult as will be readily appreciated when it is understood that rayon threads which themselves are extremely small in diameter are made up from 40 to 100 or more of such filaments. By means of the arrangement claimed herein, the manual inspection operation referred to may be dispensed with and broken thread filaments may automatically be detected and indicated by readily distinguishable means. As a means for such automatic detection, I employ a delicate switch member arranged in the path of the thread which is actuated when engaged by the fuzz or broken filaments of the thread as the thread is transferred from one spool to another. Impacts of the moving fuzz projections on the delicate switch member, which has little inertia, result I in the closure of a contact and thereby in energlzation of a suitable indicating means to be described. Thus an indication of the presence of broken filaments of the thread, which are difficult of detection by visual means alone, is had.

In some inspection operations for detecting defective thread filaments, it may be suiilcient to record only .the imperfections which pass the detecting means every minute or so to obtain a reliable record of the state of perfection thereof, the actual number of imperfections in the thread being of minor importance, and under such circumstances a material reduction in equipment may be effected. As one means for so detecting and recording the presence of defective filaments in the thread, I employ adetecting switch mechanism which is actuated by impact of broken filaments to close an energizing circuit for recording the thread imperfections and maintain this energizing circuit in such closed condition until auxiliary means have been energized for restoring the detecting means to its normal open position. Thus, a record of the thread imperfections may be had without the necessity of employing quick acting indicating instruments responsive to the closure of circuits which remain closed for only a period of short duration.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, its advantages and specific objects attained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying 40 drawing and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described the best form of myv invention now known to me.

Of the drawing: I

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatical view illustrating one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the detector of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and illustrate modifications of the Fig. 1 arrangement.

Referring to Fig. l, provision is made, as illustrated, for arranging a detector 1 in the path of the moving thread for detecting the presence of broken filaments in the thread. Normally in practice, the detector may desirably be arranged as in the path of the thread as it is being unwound from a spindle on a spinning machine and wound on a bobbin immediately after the spinning operation. For clarity and definiteness of illustration, however, I have shown, in a more or less di agrammatic wa the thread 2 as being unwound from a spool 3 and reeled on a spool l, the latter being mounted for rotation on a shaft 5 driven through suitable gearing, not shown, by a unidirectional electrical motor 5 energized for rotation from alternating current supply lines L and L The spool 3 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 7 which may be disposed on suitable brackets '8 in any convenient manner. Preferably both spools 3 and 4 are so mounted for rotation as to facilitate quick removal and replacement by other spools.

The detector l is a delicate switch mechanism including a contact arm 9 pivoted intermediate its ends for rotation on a light suspension wire H), which may be of phosphor bronze or other suitable material, and disposed in the path of the thread. As best seen in Fig. 2, wire I is suspended between opposite arms of a U-shaped member H at the upper ends thereof. The arm 9 is provided at its upper end with a bifurcated portion or stirrup l2 which is so arranged that one arm of the stirrup is disposed on either side of the thread. The arms of stirrup l2 are separated by a distance slightly greater than the normal diameter of the thread so that any projecting potions of the latter rmulting from broken filaments will engage one or the other or both of said arms. The arm 9, normally maintained in the position of Fig. 1 by means of a weight attached to the other end thereof, is adapted when engaged by broken filaments .to engage a relatively fixed contact element i4 disposed at right angles to the arm 9 and securely fastened at one end to a stationary rod member l5 which may be mounted in any convenient manner as for example on the rod [6.

When broken filaments strike the stirrup l2 and rotate the arm 9 into engagement with the contact M. the arm 9 is maintained in such closed relation with the contact H by a magnetic vane ll which vane is rigid with the arm 9 and whose ends are disposed in inductive relation with the poles of a U-shaped normally deenergized electromagnet l8. When defective filaments actuate the contacting arm 9, one end of the vane ll engages a leg 18' of the electromagnet I8 and residual magnetism in the vane I'Lholds the latter in engagement with the leg Hi to thereby maintain the contacting arm 9 in engagement with the contact H.

As illustrated, the engagement of contact arm 5 with contact l4 closes a circuit for energizing a heating coil IS. The heating coil 19 is disposed on a bimetallic strip 20 which in turn is mounted at one end on an insulated bracket 2| and has a pin 22 disposed on the other end which is adapted to engage one end of a spring marker arm 23. The spring marker arm 23 is mounted at its other end on an insulated bracket 24 and is adapted, when engaged by the pin 22, to have a marking pin 25 disposed on its movable end pressed into engagement with a ribbon 26 and a chart 2! for recording each such engagement. The recorder chart is adapted to be driven by a continuously rotating roller 27, the latter being driven in any convenient manner, as for example, by a unidirectional electrical motor (not shown) so that any imperfections of the thread will be recorded on the chart as a series of contiguous marks on a straight line.

The heating coil I9 is energized from alternating current supply conductors L and L through a circuit which may be traced from the supply conductor L conductor 28, heating coil 19, contacting arm 9, contact I, and conductor 2! to the supply conductor U. Subsequent warping of the bi-metallic strip 20, caused by the heating of coil is, presses the pin 22 into engagement with the spring marker 23 to thereby cause a record to be made 0! the closure of contacts 9 and H, and to close an energizing circuit from the supply lines L and L to the electromagnet I 8 for separating the contacts 9 and H. When the relay is energized, it attracts both ends or the vane ll equally and causes the contacting arm 8 to move out of engagement with the contact H to a normal open circuit position. The resulting deenergization of the heating coil I! permits the bimetallic strip 20 to cool, and subsequent return movement of the latter to its normal position as shown, breaks the contact between the spring marker arm 23 and the bimetallic strip 20 to deenergize the electromagnet II.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated an alternative form of switch contacting mechanism which may be employed in conjunction with the recording means of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, a delicately balanced mercury switch an, comprising an elongated envelope havlng a pair of contacts 3! disposed in one end, is pivoted for rotation on a metal suspension wire 32 which desirably is a torsionless suspension. A contacting arm which may be similar to the contacting arm 9 of Fig. 2, is mounted on the elongated envelope of switch by means of a light metal band 33, as shown, and upon impact of defective filaments with the stirrup i2, is adapted to overbalance the mercury switch 30, tilting the latter in a counterclockwise directicn to close the contacts 3!. The mercury switch 30 remains in this tilted position due to the weight of the mercury 34, until a solenoid is subsequently energized to restore the mercury switch 30 to its normal open position. The manner in which the solenoid 35 is energized may be similar to the manner in which the electromagnet i8 0! Fig. l is energized. The solenoid 35 is adapted to cooperate with a magnetic vane 35 rigid with an arm 9' which is connected to the metal band 33 at a point diametrically opposite the point of connection of the contacting arm 9 thereto, so that, when the solenoid 35 is energized, the vane 36 is attracted and causes rotation of the mercury switch 30, restoring the latter to its normal balanced position to thereby open the energizing circuit to the heating coil N at the contacts 3|.

In Figs. 1 and 3 inertia of the heating coils I! and/or the bimetallic strips 20 causes the marking pins 25 to remain momentarily in contact with the ribbon 26 and chart 21 after the heating coils l9 are deenergized so that the thread imperfection 15 recorded as a short line. If successive defective filaments engage the stirrups l2 immediately thereafter, the heating coils l9 will be further energized and cause the marking pins 25 to remain in engagement with the ribbon 2i and chart 2] for a longer period of time to thereby record the passage of the additional number of thread imperfections by a longer line.

In Fig. 4 I have shown another modification of Fig. l in which a solenoid 31 connected in circuit with the mercury switch contacts 3] is adapted to actuate a marker lever 38 pivoted at ill one end on a shaft 39. A print hammer Ill, disposed on the other end of member 38, is adapted to strike the recorder chart 21 through the ribbon 28, and thereby to make a mark on the recorder chart each time that the relay winding 31 is energized. The member 38 is normally biased for rotation in a clockwise direction by spring means ll into engagement with a. stop l2 so that when the solenoid 31 is deenergized the print hammer 40 is held out 01 engagement with the recorder chart 21 and ribbon 28.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, rotation of the delicately balanced switch mechanism to its on position by impact of defective filaments on the stirrup l2 results in the energization of the recording solenoid 31 and the restoring solenoid 35 which are series connected through the contacts ll of the mercury switch 30 to the supply lines L- and L. For recording the presence of defective filaments and subsequently restoring the detecting mechanism to its normal position, the recording solenoid is adapted to actuate the lever 38 before the-solenoid 35 responds to the energizing current and causes rotation oi the mercury switch 30 to its normal balanced position. Closing of the mercury switch contacts 3| thereby results in a mark being made on the chart 2! and immediately thereafter restoration of the mercury switch to its balanced open circuit position.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I have illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims, and invention may sometimes be used to advanta e without a corresponding use oi other features.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for detecting defective filaments in a thread, a detector disposed in cooperative relation with said thread and having a normal condition and an actuated condition, means for relatively moving said thread and detector. said detector being adapted to be operated to its actuated condition by said defective filaments, and means continuously responsive to the actuation of said detector for recording the presence of said detective filaments and for restoring said detector to its normal condition.

2. In apparatus for detecting defective filaa ments in a thread, a delicately balanced detecting switch disposed in thread, means (or relatively moving said cooperative relation with the thread that certain features of my and detecting switch, means under control of said detective filaments for rotating said detecting switch to an unbalanced position, and means continuously responsive to rotation of said detecting switch for recording the presence of said defective filaments and for restoring the said detecting switch to its normal balanced position.

3. In apparatus for merits in a thread, detecting means disposed in the path of the thread, means for relatively moving said thread and detecting means, a heating coil, means under control of said detecting means for energizing said heating coil, and means responsive to said heating coil for recording said energization.

4. In apparatus for detecting defective filaments in a thread, a delicately balanced arm pivoted intermediate its ends for rotation and adapted to be engaged at one end and rotated by defective filaments in said thread, an electrical contact adapted to be engaged by said arm on rotation of the latter, a magnetic vane carried by said arm,'means disposed in cooperative relation with said magnetic vane for maintaining the said electrical contact closed, and means energized by the engagement of said electrical contact and adapted to record such engagement and to operate the first mentioned means to open said electrical contact. I c

5. In apparatus for-detecting defective filamentsin a thread, a delicately balanced switch comprising a closed envelope supported for rotation, a pair of contacts disposed in said envelope and adapted to be closed by an electrical conducting liquid in said envelope when the said switch is caused to be unbalanced, an arm rigid with said envelope having one end disposed in cooperative relation with said thread and adapted when engaged by defective filaments to rotate said envelope for closing said contacts, and means actuated by the closure of said contacts for recording such closure.

6. In apparatus for detecting defective filaments in a thread, a delicately balanced switch comprising a closed envelope supported for rotation, a pair of contacts disposed in said envelope adapted to be closed by an electrical conducting liquid in said envelope when the said switch is caused to be unbalanced, a light arm rigid with said envelope having one end disposed in ooopera-- tive relation with said thread and adapted when engaged by defective filaments to rotate said envelope for closing said contacts, and means actua ,ed by the closure of said contacts for recording such closure and subsequently restoring said switch to its balanced condition.

EARL A. KEELER,

detecting defective fila- 

